Omaha rescue personnel locate man swept away after falling into downtown manhole

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Rescue personnel have safely located the man who was swept away after two men fell into a manhole in downtown Omaha.

Just after 9 a.m. Friday, the men fell into the hole around 19th and Howard streets. One of the men was rescued shortly after, but the other was swept into the system underneath the manhole and trapped.

The search continued through the water system further south from the original location until authorities found him alive near Seventh and Jones streets.

“We don’t know what’s underneath there, but we know about how wide the pipes are,” Omaha Fire Dept. Batallion Chief Jason Bradley said. “The pipes get progressively bigger the closer you get to the river, so we knew that if he could make it through here, at 19th and (Howard) where he went in, it was gonna get bigger down toward the area where we were searching.”

Authorities said the man is a contractor. He has not yet been identified by authorities.